Blue Badge

Blue Badge Scheme Information

Added: 15 January 2009 | Updated: 20 August 2009

The Blue Badge scheme entitles a badge holder to additional parking rights.

Those wishing to apply should contact their local council. Further information is available from DirectGov

There is also an interactive map which will allow you to type in the postcode of your destination and find the nearest blue badge parking bays as well as the blue badge parking bays closest to London’s train stations and airports.

Those who are automatically entitled include people who:

Are registered blind
Receive the higher rate of mobility component of DLA
Receive a war pension mobility supplement
Have a vehicle supplied by or subsidised by a government grant

In addition, anyone who has severe mobility difficulties as such that they are unable to walk 50 yards without stopping, or have no use of their arms is also eligible. It is worth noting that whether you are deemed eligible for any other form of travel benefit, such as the Freedom Pass for example, is not relevant to your eligibility for a Blue Badge. The Blue Badge is issued under completely separate legislation, and councils don’t have discretionary powers to change the criteria.

What are the benefits?

Blue Badge holders are entitled to:

Park at a meter or in a pay and display area, unless there is a notice to the contrary
Ignore time limits applying to other drivers, unless otherwise stated
Park on single or double yellow lines for up to 3 hours, except where there’s a ban on loading or unloading.

The badge has to be displayed in the car whenever the vehicle is in use, however, you don’t have to have a car yourself to be entitled to a Blue Badge. You can put the badge in the window of a friend’s car, as long as you are also in the vehicle yourself.

Blue Badge holders are also exempt from the Congestion Charge. It costs £10 to register for exemption and you can have two cars registered at any one time. To get a form, either contact Transport for All (020 7737 2339) or download a form from:

http://www.cclondon.com/downloads/DisabledPeople.pdf

Having a Blue Badge will not entitle you to park in places where there’s no loading, in a bus or cycle lane, where there are double white lines down the middle of the road, on a clearway or red route, or in many other places.
There’s a complete list of these restrictions in the Blue Badge leaflet put out by the Department of Transport on the web; or we (Transport for All) have copies (020 7737 2339). In Central London the boroughs of Westminster, the City of London, Kensington & Chelsea and Camden (south of Euston Road) are exempt from the national scheme, and each has its own local rules! Contact each council for their regulations.

You can now get the Blue Badge map sent directly to your mobile if you have a phone that can connect to the internet. This is a very useful development from Directgov and the map will show you;

Blue Badge parking bays in over 100 towns and cities across the UK
public toilets with accessibility information in over 100 towns and cities across the UK
petrol stations and their service facilities on major routes in the UK
local council parking rules across the UK

Simply text BLUE to 83377 (the cost of a normal text).

For more information visit Directgov